Super Micro Computer's CEO reeks of questionable character, and Taiwan's raid on its offices in an expanding chip-export probe adds to the concern. The open questions are how severe any fraud is and whether it is already priced in. x.com
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Special Situations & Volatility Investor, Wall Street Background
Super Micro Computer's leadership problems are now surfacing, and a fish rots from the head down. The stock keeps falling after disclosing that federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York charged three individuals tied to the company in an alleged export-control conspiracy. Its CEO showed the same warning signs as leaders of companies like Nikola; the only questions are how severe the fraud is and whether it is already priced in. x.com
Super Micro Computer faces governance risk as Taiwan's chip-smuggling probe reaches it. Per the Kobeissi Letter, the stock fell more than 9% after its Taiwan office was raided. The raid is unsurprising given that its CEO smuggled Nvidia products to China. x.com
Super Micro Computer looks like a fraud, and the earlier alarm raised on it is being borne out. x.com
Super Micro Computer is getting too cheap to ignore even if its earnings are questionable; its management is the main reason the stock is weak. Without them the shares would likely already be much higher, and @NebbioloNerd says the market will never trust the team and the stock would rip to $50+ if Liang and others stepped aside. The case leans on Trump being in office. x.com
Super Micro Computer has been rotten from the beginning, a stock to avoid when so many peers are available. Per @StockMKTNewz, citing CNBC, US prosecutors have charged a Super Micro co-founder, employee and contractor with smuggling Nvidia chips to China, yet the stock is only down about 3%. x.com x.com
Super Micro Computer should come off the watchlist because its administrative team has a criminal history. x.com
Super Micro Computer's nearly 40% drop over the past month is a market overreaction, since the allegations targeted a director, not the company, and found no company wrongdoing. Some of the pressure may have been competitor-driven or politically amplified. What matters is engineering strength: it builds roughly all of xAI's servers, is involved early in Terafab, and is often the first partner AI-chip startups such as d-Matrix turn to. It remains a long-term hold. x.com
Super Micro Computer is not worth the risk regardless of its business or multiple, given early signs of sketchy business that have now escalated. Per @WOLF_Financial, its co-founder was charged with smuggling about $2.5B of servers with Nvidia AI chips to China via a Southeast Asian shell company, using fake paperwork and dummy servers to fool the compliance team. x.com
Super Micro Computer's smuggling scandal is a black eye that will take a long time to heal and likely leave a permanent scar, making it a no-touch stock. Per @ns123abc, co-founder Wally Liaw was arrested and charged with smuggling $2.5B of Nvidia servers to China through a Southeast Asian shell company. With a founder and several employees arrested, vendors may move to Dell. x.com x.com x.com
Increased AI-platform demand is lifting Super Micro Computer's preliminary revenue above guidance. Supermicro estimates fiscal Q1 2027 revenue of $18.5B-$19.5B versus $14.5B-$15.5B guided, and gross margin of 12%-12.5% versus 10.4%-10.8% guided, primarily due to customer and product mix. No one is bullish enough on the stock; $50+ by year-end is in view. x.com x.com x.com
Supermicro carries too much drama to hold long term: its offices were raided as part of Taiwan's chip-smuggling probe. The earlier long was only a short-term trade front-running earnings. x.com x.com